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The ”IceMole“ is a novel maneuverable subsurface ice probe for clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial water/brine. It is developed and build at FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences’ Astronautical Laboratory. A first prototype was successfully tested on the Swiss Morteratsch glacier in 2010. Clean sampling is achieved with a hollow ice screw (as it is used in mountaineering) at the tip of the probe. Maneuverability is achieved with a differentially heated melting head. Funded by the German Space Agency (DLR), a consortium led by FH Aachen currently develops a much more advanced IceMole probe, which includes a sophisticated system for obstacle avoidance, target detection, and navigation in the ice. We intend to use this probe for taking clean samples of subglacial brine at the Blood Falls (McMurdo Dry Valleys, East Antarctica) for chemical and microbiological analysis. In our conference contribution, we 1) describe the IceMole design, 2) report the results of the field tests of the first prototype on the Morteratsch glacier, 3) discuss the probe’s potential for the clean in-situ analysis and sampling of subsurface ice and subglacial liquids, and 4) outline the way ahead in the development of this technology.
We present a new approach to the problem of optimal control of solar sails for low-thrust trajectory optimization. The objective was to find the required control torque magnitudes in order to steer a solar sail in interplanetary space. A new steering strategy, controlling the solar sail with generic torques applied about the spacecraft body axes, is integrated into the existing low-thrust trajectory optimization software InTrance. This software combines artificial neural networks and evolutionary algorithms to find steering strategies close to the global optimum without an initial guess. Furthermore, we implement a three rotational degree-of-freedom rigid-body attitude dynamics model to represent the solar sail in space. Two interplanetary transfers to Mars and Neptune are chosen to represent typical future solar sail mission scenarios. The results found with the new steering strategy are compared to the existing reference trajectories without attitude dynamics. The resulting control torques required to accomplish the missions are investigated, as they pose the primary requirements to a real on-board attitude control system.
There is common agreement within the scientific community that in order to understand our local galactic environment it will be necessary to send a spacecraft into the region beyond the solar wind termination shock. Considering distances of 200 AU for a new mission, one needs a spacecraft traveling at a speed of close to 10 AU/yr in order to keep the mission duration in the range of less than 25 yrs, a transfer time postulated by European Space Agency (ESA). Two propulsion options for the mission have been proposed and discussed so far: the solar sail propulsion and the ballistic/radioisotope-electric propulsion (REP). As a further alternative, we here investigate a combination of solar-electric propulsion (SEP) and REP. The SEP stage consists of six 22-cms diameter RIT-22 ion thrusters working with a high specific impulse of 7377 s corresponding to a positive grid voltage of 5 kV. Solar power of 53 kW at begin of mission (BOM) is provided by a lightweight solar array.
Wing weight estimation methodology for highly non-planar lifting systems during conceptual design
(2013)
Euler-based induced drag estimation for highly non-planar lifting systems during conceptional design
(2013)
"To assess the habitability of the icy environments in the solar system, for example, on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus, the scientific analysis of material embedded in or underneath their ice layers is very important. We consider self-steering robotic ice melting probes to be the best method to cleanly access these environments, that is, in compliance with planetary protection standards. The required technologies are currently developed and tested."
The Dry Low NOx (DLN) Micromix combustion principle with increased energy density is adapted for the industrial gas turbine APU GTCP 36-300 using hydrogen and hydrogen-rich syngas with a composition of 90%-Vol. hydrogen (H₂) and 10%-Vol. carbon-monoxide (CO). Experimental and numerical studies of several combustor geometries for hydrogen and syngas show the successful advance of the DLN Micromix combustion from pure hydrogen to hydrogen-rich syngas. The impact of the different fuel properties on the combustion principle and aerodynamic flame stabilization design laws, flow field, flame structure and emission characteristics is investigated by numerical analysis using a hybrid Eddy Break Up combustion model and validated against experimental results.
The development of Gossamer sail structures for solar sails contributes to a large field of future space applications like thin film solar generators, membrane antennas and drag sails. The focus of this paper is the development of a drag sail based on solar sail technology that could contribute to a reduction of space debris in low Earth orbits. The drag sail design and its connections to solar sail development, a first test on a sounding rocket, as well as the ongoing integration of the drag sail into a triple CubeSat is presented.
Picosecond dynamics in haemoglobin from different species: A quasielastic neutron scattering study
(2014)
A technology reference study for a multiple near-Earth object (NEO) rendezvous mission with solar sailcraft is currently carried out by the authors of this paper. The investigated mission builds on previous concepts, but adopts a strong micro-spacecraft philosophy based on the DLR/ESA Gossamer technology. The main scientific objective of the mission is to explore the diversity of NEOs. After direct interplanetary insertion, the solar sailcraft should—within less than 10 years—rendezvous three NEOs that are not only scientifically interesting, but also from the point of human spaceight and planetary defense. In this paper, the objectives of the study are outlined and a preliminary potential mission profile is presented.
There is significant interest in sampling subglacial environments for geobiological studies, but they are difficult to access. Existing ice-drilling technologies make it cumbersome to maintain microbiologically clean access for sample acquisition and environmental stewardship of potentially fragile subglacial aquatic ecosystems. The IceMole is a maneuverable subsurface ice probe for clean in situ analysis and sampling of glacial ice and subglacial materials. The design is based on the novel concept of combining melting and mechanical propulsion. It can change melting direction by differential heating of the melting head and optional side-wall heaters. The first two prototypes were successfully tested between 2010 and 2012 on glaciers in Switzerland and Iceland. They demonstrated downward, horizontal and upward melting, as well as curve driving and dirt layer penetration. A more advanced probe is currently under development as part of the Enceladus Explorer (EnEx) project. It offers systems for obstacle avoidance, target detection, and navigation in ice. For the EnEx-IceMole, we will pay particular attention to clean protocols for the sampling of subglacial materials for biogeochemical analysis. We plan to use this probe for clean access into a unique subglacial aquatic environment at Blood Falls, Antarctica, with return of a subglacial brine sample.
A technology reference study for a solar polar mission is presented. The study uses novel analytical methods to quantify the mission design space including the required sail performance to achieve a given solar polar observation angle within a given timeframe and thus to derive mass allocations for the remaining spacecraft sub-systems, that is excluding the solar sail sub-system. A parametric, bottom-up, system mass budget analysis is then used to establish the required sail technology to deliver a range of science payloads, and to establish where such payloads can be delivered to within a given timeframe. It is found that a solar polar mission requires a solar sail of side-length 100–125 m to deliver a ‘sufficient value’ minimum science payload, and that a 2.5 μm sail film substrate is typically required, however the design is much less sensitive to the boom specific mass.
The impact of wake model effects is investigated for two highly
non-planar lifting systems. Dependent on the geometrical
arrangement of the configuration, the wake model shape is found
to considerably affect the estimation. Particularly at higher angles
of attack, an accurate estimation based on the common linear wake
model approaches is involved.
A technology reference study for a displaced Lagrange point space weather mission is presented. The mission builds on previous concepts, but adopts a strong micro-spacecraft philosophy to deliver a low mass platform and payload which can be accommodated on the DLR/ESA Gossamer-3 technology demonstration mission. A direct escape from Geostationary Transfer Orbit is assumed with the sail deployed after the escape burn. The use of a miniaturized, low mass platform and payload then allows the Gossamer-3 solar sail to potentially double the warning time of space weather events. The mission profile and mass budgets will be presented to achieve these ambitious goals.
Up in the clouds and above fuels and construction materials must be very carefully selected to ensure a smooth flight and touchdown. Out of around 38,000 single and dual-engined propeller aeroplanes, roughly a third are affected by a new trend in the fuel sector that may lead to operating troubles or even emergency landings: The admixture of bio-ethanol to conventional gasoline. Experiences with these fuels may be projected to alternative mixtures containing new components.
Numerical Study on Increased Energy Density for the DLN Micromix Hydrogen Combustion Principle
(2014)
Development and Testing of a Low NOx Micromix Combustion Chamber for an Industrial Gas Turbine
(2015)
Thermal management in E-carsharing vehicles - preconditioning concepts of passenger compartments
(2015)
The issue of thermal management in electric vehicles includes the topics of drivetrain cooling and heating, interior temperature, vehicle body conditioning and safety. In addition to the need to ensure optimal thermal operating conditions of the drivetrain components (drive motor, battery and electrical components), thermal comfort must be provided for the passengers. Thermal comfort is defined as the feeling which expresses the satisfaction of the passengers with the ambient conditions in the compartment. The influencing factors on thermal comfort are the temperature and humidity as well as the speed of the indoor air and the clothing and the activity of the passengers, in addition to the thermal radiation and the temperatures of the interior surfaces. The generation and the maintenance of free visibility (ice- and moisture-free windows) count just as important as on-demand heating and cooling of the entire vehicle. A Carsharing climate concept of the innovative ec2go vehicle stipulates and allows for only seating areas used by passengers to be thermally conditioned in a close-to-body manner. To enable this, a particular feature has been added to the preconditioning of the Carsharing electric vehicle during the electric charging phase at the parking station.
Small Spacecraft in Planetary Defence Related Applications–Capabilities, Constraints, Challenges
(2015)
In this paper we present an overview of the characteristics and peculiarities of small spacecraft missions related to planetary defence applications. We provide a brief overview of small spacecraft missions to small solar system bodies. On this background we present recent missions and selected projects and related studies at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, that contribute to planetary defence related activities. These range from Earth orbit technology demonstrators to active science missions in interplanetary space. We provide a summary of experience from recently flown missions with DLR participation as well as a number of studies. These include PHILAE, the lander recently arrived on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko aboard ESA’s ROSETTA comet rendezvous mission, and the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, MASCOT, now underway to near-Earth asteroid (162173) 1999 JU3 aboard the Japanese sample-return probe HAYABUSA-2. We introduce the differences between the conventional methods employed in the design, integration and testing of large spacecraft and the new approaches developed by small spacecraft projects. We expect that the practical experience that can be gained from projects on extremely
compressed timelines or with high-intensity operation phases on a newly explored small solar system body can contribute significantly to the study, preparation and realization of future planetary defence related missions. One is AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment), a joint effort of ESA,JHU/APL, NASA, OCA and DLR, combining JHU/APL’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and ESA’s AIM (Asteroid Impact Monitor) spacecraft in a mission towards
near-Eath binary asteroid (65803) Didymos.
A multi-functional device applying for the safe maintenance at high-altitude on wind turbines
(2015)
Attitude and Orbital Dynamics Modeling for an Uncontrolled Solar-Sail Experiment in Low-Earth Orbit
(2015)
Manufacturing Process Simulation for the Prediction of Tool-Part-Interaction and Ply Wrinkling
(2015)
Changes in intestinal microflora in rats induced by oral exposure to low lead (II) concentrations
(2015)
Gossamer-1 is the first project of the three-step Gossamer roadmap, the purpose of which is to develop, prove and demonstrate that solar-sail technology is a safe and reliable propulsion technique for long-lasting and high-energy missions. This paper firstly presents the structural analysis performed on the sail to understand its elastic behavior. The results are then used in attitude and orbital simulations. The model considers the main forces and torques that a satellite experiences in low-Earth orbit coupled with the sail deformation. Doing the simulations for varying initial conditions in attitude and rotation rate, the results show initial states to avoid and maximum rotation rates reached for correct and faulty deployment of the sail. Lastly comparisons with the classic flat sail model are carried out to test the hypothesis that the elastic behavior does play a role in the attitude and orbital behavior of the sail
Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) is a promising candidate for flutter testing and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of aircraft wings that are passively excited by wind loads. However, no studies have been published where OMA is tested in transonic flows, which is the dominant condition for large civil aircraft and is characterized by complex and unique aerodynamic phenomena. We use data from the HIRENASD large-scale wind tunnel experiment to automatically extract modal parameters from an ambiently excited wing operated in the transonic regime using two OMA methods: Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) and Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD). The system response is evaluated based on accelerometer measurements. The excitation is investigated from surface pressure measurements. The forcing function is shown to be non-white, non-stationary and contaminated by narrow-banded transonic disturbances. All these properties violate fundamental OMA assumptions about the forcing function. Despite this, all physical modes in the investigated frequency range were successfully identified, and in addition transonic pressure waves were identified as physical modes as well. The SSI method showed superior identification capabilities for the investigated case. The investigation shows that complex transonic flows can interfere with OMA. This can make existing approaches for modal tracking unsuitable for their application to aircraft wings operated in the transonic flight regime. Approaches to separate the true physical modes from the transonic disturbances are discussed.
The Saturnian moon Enceladus with its extensive water bodies underneath a thick ice sheet cover is a potential candidate for extraterrestrial life. Direct exploration of such extraterrestrial aquatic ecosystems requires advanced access and sampling technologies with a high level of autonomy. A new technological approach has been developed as part of the collaborative research project Enceladus Explorer (EnEx). The concept is based upon a minimally invasive melting probe called the IceMole. The force-regulated, heater-controlled IceMole is able to travel along a curved trajectory as well as upwards. Hence, it allows maneuvers which may be necessary for obstacle avoidance or target selection. Maneuverability, however, necessitates a sophisticated on-board navigation system capable of autonomous operations. The development of such a navigational system has been the focal part of the EnEx project. The original IceMole has been further developed to include relative positioning based on in-ice attitude determination, acoustic positioning, ultrasonic obstacle and target detection integrated through a high-level sensor fusion. This paper describes the EnEx technology and discusses implications for an actual extraterrestrial mission concept.
This paper describes the results and methods used during the 8th Global Trajectory Optimization Competition (GTOC) of the DLR team. Trajectory optimization is crucial for most of the space missions and usually can be formulated as a global optimization problem. A lot of research has been done to different type of mission problems. The most demanding ones are low thrust transfers with e.g. gravity assist sequences. In that case the optimal control problem is combined with an integer problem. In most of the GTOCs we apply a filtering of the problem based on domain knowledge.
This work presents a methodology for automated
damage-sensitive feature extraction and anomaly
detection under multivariate operational variability
for in-flight assessment of wings. The
method uses a passive excitation approach, i. e.
without the need for artificial actuation. The
modal system properties (natural frequencies and
damping ratios) are used as damage-sensitive
features. Special emphasis is placed on the use
of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing technology
and the consideration of Operational and
Environmental Variability (OEV). Measurements
from a wind tunnel investigation with a composite
cantilever equipped with FBG and piezoelectric
sensors are used to successfully detect an impact
damage. In addition, the feasibility of damage
localisation and severity estimation is evaluated
based on the coupling found between damageand
OEV-induced feature changes.
The potential of SMART climbing robot combined with a weatherproof cabin for rotor blade maintenance
(2016)
Manufacturing process simulation enables the evaluation and improvement of autoclave mold concepts early in the design phase. To achieve a high part quality at low cycle times, the thermal behavior of the autoclave mold can be investigated by means of simulations. Most challenging for such a simulation is the generation of necessary boundary conditions. Heat-up and temperature distribution in an autoclave mold are governed by flow phenomena, tooling material and shape, position within the autoclave, and the chosen autoclave cycle. This paper identifies and summarizes the most important factors influencing mold heat-up and how they can be introduced into a thermal simulation. Thermal measurements are used to quantify the impact of the various parameters. Finally, the gained knowledge is applied to develop a semi-empirical approach for boundary condition estimation that enables a simple and fast thermal simulation of the autoclave curing process with reasonably high accuracy for tooling optimization.
Combined with the use of renewable energy sources for its production, hydrogen represents a possible alternative gas turbine fuel for future low-emission power generation. Due to the difference in the physical properties of hydrogen compared to other fuels such as natural gas, well-established gas turbine combustion systems cannot be directly applied to dry low NOₓ (DLN) hydrogen combustion. The DLN micromix combustion of hydrogen has been under development for many years, since it has the promise to significantly reduce NOₓ emissions. This combustion principle for air-breathing engines is based on crossflow mixing of air and gaseous hydrogen. Air and hydrogen react in multiple miniaturized diffusion-type flames with an inherent safety against flashback and with low NOₓ emissions due to a very short residence time of the reactants in the flame region. The paper presents an advanced DLN micromix hydrogen application. The experimental and numerical study shows a combustor configuration with a significantly reduced number of enlarged fuel injectors with high-thermal power output at constant energy density. Larger fuel injectors reduce manufacturing costs, are more robust and less sensitive to fuel contamination and blockage in industrial environments. The experimental and numerical results confirm the successful application of high-energy injectors, while the DLN micromix characteristics of the design point, under part-load conditions, and under off-design operation are maintained. Atmospheric test rig data on NOₓ emissions, optical flame-structure, and combustor material temperatures are compared to numerical simulations and show good agreement. The impact of the applied scaling and design laws on the miniaturized micromix flamelets is particularly investigated numerically for the resulting flow field, the flame-structure, and NOₓ formation.
Combined with the use of renewable energy sources for its production, Hydrogen represents a possible alternative gas turbine fuel within future low emission power generation. Due to the large difference in the physical properties of Hydrogen compared to other fuels such as natural gas, well established gas turbine combustion systems cannot be directly applied for Dry Low NOx (DLN) Hydrogen combustion. Thus, the development of DLN combustion technologies is an essential and challenging task for the future of Hydrogen fuelled gas turbines. The DLN Micromix combustion principle for hydrogen fuel has been developed to significantly reduce NOx-emissions. This combustion principle is based on cross-flow mixing of air and gaseous hydrogen which reacts in multiple miniaturized diffusion-type flames. The major advantages of this combustion principle are the inherent safety against flash-back and the low NOx-emissions due to a very short residence time of reactants in the flame region of the micro-flames. The Micromix Combustion technology has been already proven experimentally and numerically for pure Hydrogen fuel operation at different energy density levels. The aim of the present study is to analyze the influence of different geometry parameter variations on the flame structure and the NOx emission and to identify the most relevant design parameters, aiming to provide a physical understanding of the Micromix flame sensitivity to the burner design and identify further optimization potential of this innovative combustion technology while increasing its energy density and making it mature enough for real gas turbine application. The study reveals great optimization potential of the Micromix Combustion technology with respect to the DLN characteristics and gives insight into the impact of geometry modifications on flame structure and NOx emission. This allows to further increase the energy density of the Micromix burners and to integrate this technology in industrial gas turbines.
Wind-induced operational variability is one of the major challenges for structural health monitoring of slender engineering structures like aircraft wings or wind turbine blades. Damage sensitive features often show an even bigger sensitivity to operational variability. In this study a composite cantilever was subjected to multiple mass configurations, velocities and angles of attack in a controlled wind tunnel environment. A small-scale impact damage was introduced to the specimen and the structural response measurements were repeated. The proposed damage detection methodology is based on automated operational modal analysis. A novel baseline preparation procedure is described that reduces the amount of user interaction to the provision of a single consistency threshold. The procedure starts with an indeterminate number of operational modal analysis identifications from a large number of datasets and returns a complete baseline matrix of natural frequencies and damping ratios that is suitable for subsequent anomaly detection. Mahalanobis distance-based anomaly detection is then applied to successfully detect the damage under varying severities of operational variability and with various degrees of knowledge about the present operational conditions. The damage detection capabilities of the proposed methodology were found to be excellent under varying velocities and angles of attack. Damage detection was less successful under joint mass and wind variability but could be significantly improved through the provision of the currently encountered operational conditions.
The scientific interest for near-Earth asteroids as well as the interest in potentially hazardous asteroids from the perspective of planetary defense led the space community to focus on near-Earth asteroid mission studies. A multiple near-Earth asteroid rendezvous mission with close-up observations of several objects can help to improve the characterization of these asteroids. This work explores the design of a solar-sail spacecraft for such a mission, focusing on the search of possible sequences of encounters and the trajectory optimization. This is done in two sequential steps: a sequence search by means of a simplified trajectory model and a set of heuristic rules based on astrodynamics, and a subsequent optimization phase. A shape-based approach for solar sailing has been developed and is used for the first phase. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through a fully optimized multiple near-Earth asteroid rendezvous mission. The results show that it is possible to visit five near-Earth asteroids within 10 years with near-term solar-sail technology.
Following the recent successful landings and occasional re-awakenings of PHILAE, the lander carried aboard ROSETTA to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and the launch of the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, MASCOT, aboard the HAYABUSA2 space probe to asteroid (162173) Ryugu we present an overview of the characteristics and peculiarities of small spacecraft missions to small solar system bodies (SSSB). Their main purpose is planetary science which is transitioning from a ‘pure’ science of observation of the distant to one also supporting in-situ applications relevant for life on Earth. Here we focus on missions at the interface of SSSB science and planetary defence applications. We provide a brief overview of small spacecraft SSSB missions and on this background present recent missions, projects and related studies at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, that contribute to the worldwide planetary defence community. These range from Earth orbit technology demonstrators to active science missions in interplanetary space. We provide a summary of experience from recently flown missions with DLR participation as well as a number of studies. These include PHILAE, the lander of ESA’s ROSETTA comet rendezvous mission now on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, MASCOT, now in cruise to the ~1 km diameter C-type near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu aboard the Japanese sample-return probe HAYABUSA2. We introduce the differences between the conventional methods employed in the design, integration and testing of large spacecraft and the new approaches developed by small spacecraft projects. We expect that the practical experience that can be gained from projects on extremely compressed timelines or with high-intensity operation phases on a newly explored small solar system body can contribute significantly to the study, preparation and realization of future planetary defence related missions. One is AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment), a joint effort of ESA, JHU/APL, NASA, OCA and DLR, combining JHU/APL’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and ESA’s AIM (Asteroid Impact Monitor) spacecraft in a mission towards near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos. DLR is currently applying MASCOT heritage and lessons learned to the design of MASCOT2, a lander for the AIM mission to support a bistatic low frequency radar experiment with PHILAE/ROSETTA CONSERT heritage to explore the inner structure of Didymoon which is the designated impact target for DART.
The Dry-Low-NOₓ (DLN) Micromix combustion technology has been developed as low emission combustion principle for industrial gas turbines fueled with hydrogen or syngas. The combustion process is based on the phenomenon of jet-in-crossflow-mixing. Fuel is injected perpendicular into the air-cross-flow and burned in a multitude of miniaturized, diffusion-like flames. The miniaturization of the flames leads to a significant reduction of NOₓ emissions due to the very short residence time of reactants in the flame.
In the Micromix research approach, CFD analyses are validated towards experimental results. The combination of numerical and experimental methods allows an efficient design and optimization of DLN Micromix combustors concerning combustion stability and low NOₓ emissions.
The paper presents a comparison of several numerical combustion models for hydrogen and hydrogen-rich syngas. They differ in the complexity of the underlying reaction mechanism and the associated computational effort.
For pure hydrogen combustion a one-step global reaction is applied using a hybrid Eddy-Break-up model that incorporates finite rate kinetics. The model is evaluated and compared to a detailed hydrogen combustion mechanism derived by Li et al. including 9 species and 19 reversible elementary reactions. Based on this mechanism, reduction of the computational effort is achieved by applying the Flamelet Generated Manifolds (FGM) method while the accuracy of the detailed reaction scheme is maintained.
For hydrogen-rich syngas combustion (H₂-CO) numerical analyses based on a skeletal H₂/CO reaction mechanism derived by Hawkes et al. and a detailed reaction mechanism provided by Ranzi et al. are performed.
The comparison between combustion models and the validation of numerical results is based on exhaust gas compositions available from experimental investigation on DLN Micromix combustors.
The conducted evaluation confirms that the applied detailed combustion mechanisms are able to predict the general physics of the DLN-Micromix combustion process accurately. The Flamelet Generated Manifolds method proved to be generally suitable to reduce the computational effort while maintaining the accuracy of detailed chemistry.
Especially for reaction mechanisms with a high number of species accuracy and computational effort can be balanced using the FGM model.
In the last decades, several hundred exoplanets could be detected thanks to space-based observatories, namely CNES’ COROT and NASA’s Kepler. To expand this quest ESA plans to launch CHEOPS as the f irst small class mission in the cosmic visions program (S1) and PLATO as the 3rd medium class mission, so called M3 . PLATO’s primary objective is the detection of Earth like Exoplanets orbiting solar type stars in the habitable zone and characterisation of their bulk properties. This is possible by precise lightcurve measurement via 34 cameras. That said it becomes obvious that accurate pointing is key to achieve the required signal to noise ratio for positive transit detection. The paper will start with a comprehensive overview of PLATO’s mission objectives and mission architecture. Hereafter, special focus will be devoted to PLATO’s pointing requirements. Understanding the very nature of PLATO’s pointing requirements is essential to derive a design baseline to achieve the required performance. The PLATO frequency domain is of particular interest, ranging from 40 mHz to 3 Hz. Due to the very different time-scales involved, the spectral pointing requirement is decomposed into a high frequency part dominated by the attitude control system and the low frequency part dominated by the thermo-elastic properties of the spacecraft’s configuration. Both pose stringent constraints on the overall design as well as technology properties to comply with the derived requirements and thus assure a successful mission.
Following the successful PHILAE landing with ESA's ROSETTA probe and the launch of the MINERVA rovers and the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, MASCOT, aboard the JAXA space probe, HAYABUSA2, to asteroid (162173) Ryugu, small landers have found increasing interest. Integrated at the instrument level in their mothership they support small solar system body studies. With efficient capabilities, resource-friendly design and inherent robustness they are an attractive exploration mission element. We discuss advantages and constraints of small sub-spacecraft, focusing on emerging areas of activity such as asteroid diversity studies, planetary defence, and asteroid mining, on the background of our projects PHILAE, MASCOT, MASCOT2, the JAXA-DLR Solar Power Sail Lander Design Study, and others. The GOSSAMER-1 solar sail deployment concept also involves independent separable sub-spacecraft operating synchronized to deploy the sail. Small spacecraft require big changes in the way we do things and occasionally a little more effort than would be anticipated based on a traditional large spacecraft approach. In a Constraints-Driven Engineering environment we apply Concurrent Design and Engineering (CD/CE), Concurrent Assembly, Integration and Verification (CAIV) and Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). Near-term solar sails will likely be small spacecraft which we expect to harmonize well with nano-scale separable instrument payload packages.
The scientific interest in near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) and the classification of some of those as potentially hazardous asteroid for the Earth stipulated the interest in NEA exploration. Close-up observations of these objects will increase drastically our knowledge about the overall NEA population. For this reason, a multiple NEA rendezvous mission through solar sailing is investigated, taking advantage of the propellantless nature of this groundbreaking propulsion technology. Considering a spacecraft based on the DLR/ESA Gossamer technology, this work focuses on the search of possible sequences of NEA encounters. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated through a number of fully-optimized trajectories. The results show that it is possible to visit five NEAs within 10 years with near-term solar-sail technology. Moreover, a study on a reduced NEA database demonstrates the reliability of the approach used, showing that 58% of the sequences found with an approximated trajectory model can be converted into real solar-sail trajectories. Lastly, this second study shows the effectiveness of the proposed automatic optimization algorithm, which is able to find solutions for a large number of mission scenarios without any input required from the user.
The invention pertains to a CellDrum electrode arrangement for measuring mechanical stress, comprising a mechanical holder (1 ) and a non-conductive membrane (4), whereby the membrane (4) is at least partially fixed at its circumference to the mechanical holder (1), keeping it in place when the membrane (4) may bend due to forces acting on the membrane (4), the mechanical holder (1) and the membrane (4) forming a container, whereby the membrane (1) within the container comprises an cell- membrane compound layer or biological material (3) adhered to the deformable membrane 4 which in response to stimulation by an agent may exert mechanical stress to the membrane (4) such that the membrane bending stage changes whereby the container may be filled with an electrolyte, whereby an electric contact (2) is arranged allowing to contact said electrolyte when filled into to the container, whereby within a predefined geometry to the fixing of the membrane (4) an electrode (7) is arranged, whereby the electrode (7) is electrically insulated with respect to the electric contact (2) as well as said electrolyte, whereby mechanical stress due to an agent may be measured as a change in capacitance.
Combined with the use of renewable energy sources for
its production, Hydrogen represents a possible alternative gas
turbine fuel for future low emission power generation. Due to
its different physical properties compared to other fuels such
as natural gas, well established gas turbine combustion
systems cannot be directly applied for Dry Low NOx (DLN)
Hydrogen combustion. This makes the development of new
combustion technologies an essential and challenging task
for the future of hydrogen fueled gas turbines.
The newly developed and successfully tested “DLN
Micromix” combustion technology offers a great potential to
burn hydrogen in gas turbines at very low NOx emissions.
Aiming to further develop an existing burner design in terms
of increased energy density, a redesign is required in order to
stabilise the flames at higher mass flows and to maintain low
emission levels.
For this purpose, a systematic design exploration has
been carried out with the support of CFD and optimisation
tools to identify the interactions of geometrical and design
parameters on the combustor performance. Aerodynamic
effects as well as flame and emission formation are observed
and understood time- and cost-efficiently. Correlations
between single geometric values, the pressure drop of the
burner and NOx production have been identified as a result.
This numeric methodology helps to reduce the effort of
manufacturing and testing to few designs for single
validation campaigns, in order to confirm the flame stability
and NOx emissions in a wider operating condition field.
The Dry-Low-NOx (DLN) Micromix combustion technology has been developed originally as a low emission alternative for industrial gas turbine combustors fueled with hydrogen. Currently the ongoing research process targets flexible fuel operation with hydrogen and syngas fuel.
The non-premixed combustion process features jet-in-crossflow-mixing of fuel and oxidizer and combustion through multiple miniaturized flames. The miniaturization of the flames leads to a significant reduction of NOx emissions due to the very short residence time of reactants in the flame.
The paper presents the results of a numerical and experimental combustor test campaign. It is conducted as part of an integration study for a dual-fuel (H2 and H2/CO 90/10 Vol.%) Micromix combustion chamber prototype for application under full scale, pressurized gas turbine conditions in the auxiliary power unit Honeywell Garrett GTCP 36-300.
In the presented experimental studies, the integration-optimized dual-fuel Micromix combustor geometry is tested at atmospheric pressure over a range of gas turbine operating conditions with hydrogen and syngas fuel. The experimental investigations are supported by numerical combustion and flow simulations. For validation, the results of experimental exhaust gas analyses are applied.
Despite the significantly differing fuel characteristics between pure hydrogen and hydrogen-rich syngas the evaluated dual-fuel Micromix prototype shows a significant low NOx performance and high combustion efficiency. The combustor features an increased energy density that benefits manufacturing complexity and costs.
The concept of a laser-enhanced solar sail is introduced and the radiation pressure force model for an ideal laser-enhanced solar sail is derived. A laser-enhanced solar sail is a “traditional” solar sail that is, however, not solely propelled by solar radiation, but additionally by a laser beam that illuminates the sail. The additional laser radiation pressure increases the sail's propulsive force and can give, depending on the location of the laser source, more control authority over the direction of the solar sail’s propulsive force vector. This way, laser-enhanced solar sails may augment already existing solar sail mission concepts and make novel mission concepts feasible.
Scientific questions
- How can a non-stationary heat offering in the commercial vehicle be used to reduce fuel consumption?
- Which potentials offer route and environmental information among with predicted speed and load trajectories to increase the efficiency of a ORC-System?
Methods
- Desktop bound holistic simulation model for a heavy duty truck incl. an ORC System
- Prediction of massflows, temperatures and mixture quality (AFR) of exhaust gas
A laser-enhanced solar sail is a solar sail that is not solely propelled by solar radiation but additionally by a laser beam that illuminates the sail. This way, the propulsive acceleration of the sail results from the combined action of the solar and the laser radiation pressure onto the sail. The potential source of the laser beam is a laser satellite that coverts solar power (in the inner solar system) or nuclear power (in the outer solar system) into laser power. Such a laser satellite (or many of them) can orbit anywhere in the solar system and its optimal orbit (or their optimal orbits) for a given mission is a subject for future research. This contribution provides the model for an ideal laser-enhanced solar sail and investigates how a laser can enhance the thrusting capability of such a sail. The term ”ideal” means that the solar sail is assumed to be perfectly reflecting and that the laser beam is assumed to have a constant areal power density over the whole sail area. Since a laser beam has a limited divergence, it can provide radiation pressure at much larger solar distances and increase the radiation pressure force into the desired direction. Therefore, laser-enhanced solar sails may make missions feasible, that would otherwise have prohibitively long flight times, e.g. rendezvous missions in the outer solar system. This contribution will also analyze exemplary mission scenarios and present optimial trajectories without laying too much emphasis on the design and operations of the laser satellites. If the mission studies conclude that laser-enhanced solar sails would have advantages with respect to ”traditional” solar sails, a detailed study of the laser satellites and the whole system architecture would be the second next step
Recent analysis of scientific data from Cassini and earth-based observations gave evidence for a global ocean under a surrounding solid ice shell on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Images of Enceladus' South Pole showed several fissures in the ice shell with plumes constantly exhausting frozen water particles, building up the E-Ring, one of the outer rings of Saturn. In this southern region of Enceladus, the ice shell is considered to be as thin as 2 km, about an order of magnitude thinner than on the rest of the moon. Under the ice shell, there is a global ocean consisting of liquid water. Scientists are discussing different approaches the possibilities of taking samples of water, i.e. by melting through the ice using a melting probe. FH Aachen UAS developed a prototype of maneuverable melting probe which can navigate through the ice that has already been tested successfully in a terrestrial environment. This means no atmosphere and or ambient pressure, low ice temperatures of around 100 to 150K (near the South Pole) and a very low gravity of 0,114 m/s^2 or 1100 μg. Two of these influencing measures are about to be investigated at FH Aachen UAS in 2017, low ice temperature and low ambient pressure below the triple point of water. Low gravity cannot be easily simulated inside a large experiment chamber, though. Numerical simulations of the melting process at RWTH Aachen however are showing a gravity dependence of melting behavior. Considering this aspect, VIPER provides a link between large-scale experimental simulations at FH Aachen UAS and numerical simulations at RWTH Aachen. To analyze the melting process, about 90 seconds of experiment time in reduced gravity and low ambient pressure is provided by the REXUS rocket. In this time frame, the melting speed and contact force between ice and probes are measured, as well as heating power and a two-dimensional array of ice temperatures. Additionally, visual and infrared cameras are used to observe the melting process.
The search for life on Mars and in the Solar System - strategies, logistics and infrastructures
(2018)
The question "Are we alone in the Universe?" is perhaps the most fundamental one that affects mankind. How can we address the search for life in our Solar System? Mars, Enceladus and Europa are the focus of the search for life outside the terrestrial biosphere. While it is more likely to find remnants of life (fossils of extinct life) on Mars because of its past short time window of the surface habitability, it is probably more likely to find traces of extant life on the icy moons and ocean worlds of Jupiter and Saturn. Nevertheless, even on Mars there could still be a chance to find extant life in niches near to the surface or in just discovered subglacial lakes beneath the South Pole ice cap. Here, the different approaches for the detection of traces of life in the form of biosignatures including pre-biotic molecules will be presented. We will outline the required infrastructure for this enterprise and give examples of future mission concepts to investigate the presence of life on other planets and moons. Finally, we will provide suggestions on methods, techniques, operations and strategies for preparation and realization of future life detection missions.